


we’ll never be those kids again

by larvitar



Category: Splatoon
Genre: F/F, Pearlina week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-29 16:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19404091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larvitar/pseuds/larvitar
Summary: Pearl gripped the crinkled and weathered paper in her hand, as if she was trying to strangle it. It’s no wonder she buried these things away.☆★☆pearlina , one-shot for day 6 of #pearlinaweek , angst with a good ending





	we’ll never be those kids again

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from frank ocean’s ivy ( https://youtu.be/AE005nZeF-A ) which i recommend listening to not only as a pairing w dis fic but also in general bc its SO GOOD christ . anyway the day 6 prompt made me think of something angsty so i had to write it lol

Pearl hadn’t gone through her archived stuff in a while. Granted, she hadn’t moved in a while either, and the opportunity gave her a chance to reminisce. Things that were useless now, but things she still possessed nonetheless, like her training Splattershot Jr., the one that drove her parents crazy because of how much she fucked around with it. The downside of growing up in a huge ass mansion was that there was always more room for a mess.

Besides the incessant number of boxes populating her garage, Pearl also had to take care of the trash that was in her dresser’s many drawers. She rarely used her drawers to store clothes, rather opting for her closet or slinging the outfit she had planned on top of a protruded drawer so she could easily find it the next day. Regardless, her drawers had been occupied with old stuff that Pearl couldn’t even anticipate.

Marina had moved out of their shared apartment a month or so ago. After Order won the Final Splatfest, Inkopolis seemingly dissolved into an uncomfortably well-oiled machine of routine. Pearl needed change, she needed freshness, she needed constant growth. Marina seemed content with where she was, not wanting anything to change at all, it seemed. At the same time, though, change was what got Marina out of being a brainwashed child soldier living underground. Marina left after she heard the Inkantation. So many others didn’t want to risk going to the surface, but Marina was better for it.

Pearl sighed. Cod. Marina. Order’s victory brought an immediate change to not only Inkopolis, but also the climate in Inkopolis. Was there any real choice anymore? Marina had talked about it right after they had announced the results of the Splatfest, with Marina gushing about all the wonderful things Inkopolis could get done if they just standardized everything. Pearl stayed quiet, too tired to incite anything as she half-listened to Marina, half-spacing out. Pearl’s attention was caught again, however, when Marina excitedly announced to Pearl that she was moving out over the course of the next two weeks because she had been offered a new job that she had to move across the city for. It hurt, and Pearl just tried to be happy for Marina’s new opportunity. Perhaps the worst thing about it was the fact Pearl started feeling the gentle embrace of Marina’s arms wrapped around her torso in the night less and less.

Pearl sighed again, trying to forget the negative memories as she ruffled her hair with one hand before she tugged open another one of the drawers to go through with the other. 

As with most of the other drawers, there was clothing she didn’t wear anymore or clothing from her childhood peppering the surface, with a few trinkets and knick-knacks here and there. What was different about this drawer was that there were what looked like to be crumpled pieces of paper underneath one of those wax figures of an animal long extinct she got from the museum not too long ago. Curious, Pearl moved the rest of the clutter aside and picked up the crumpled pieces of paper, straightening them out the best she could.

A Polaroid fell out of one of them, and not an extremely old Polaroid, at that. Pearl looked at the picture on her carpet, scrutinizing it carefully. Wait- Pearl remembered this Polaroid. Marina took it of them after their first official concert as Off The Hook, a gig that took place in a dingy bar somewhere in downtown Inkopolis. Pearl had a shit-eating grin on her face, Marina smiling modestly at Pearl with a dopey look on her face.

Pearl picked up the Polaroid, gingerly placing it on her bed as she examined the first piece of paper, the piece that the picture had fallen out of. Pearl recognized the handwriting right away. After all- how couldn’t she? It was Marina’s signature cursive, almost indecipherable to anyone besides Pearl.

At the top, “ _Dear Senpai,_ ” was written in huge, flowy black ink.

Pearl blushed at that. Granted, she was extremely used to Marina calling her “senpai”, especially considering the younger girl looked up to her a considerable degree. That didn’t diminish the fact that it made Pearl’s heart swell that she could inspire such a wonderful woman. Shaking her embarrassing thoughts off, Pearl read on.

“ _Today we had our first concert as Off The Hook! Can you believe it, Pearlie? I’m so proud of how far we’ve come already. It felt like just yesterday when I heard you screaming your lungs off on Mt. Nantai. Seeing you on the stage tonight, all the passion you had performing... it’s so admirable, senpai. I know Off The Hook is destined for great things, if this concert is any indication. We work so well together, and the natural chemistry we have on stage, well... ~~it makes me think something more could spark between us. But that’s selfish.~~ I can’t wait til we have more shows in the future because if I know you and I know us, it’ll be spectacular. Can’t wait to see where we go, because I know wherever we go will be perfect, because we’ll always be together._

 _~Marina_ ”

Pearl blinked, looking closely at the crossed out portion. Marina didn’t cross it out very well, simply scribbling a few lines over the discarded words. The crossed out words were still fairly easy to read (for Marina's handwriting, anyway) and it didn’t take a master codebreaker to understand what she meant by the “something more”. Pearl, her face now the shade of a clownfish, put the Polaroid back in the letter, folding it back up and putting it on her bed as she inspected the other letters.

Pearl skimmed over the content of the other letters for the most part, with most of them matching the tone of the first letter. The flowing “ _Dear Senpai,_ ” at the top of each letter, candid truths crossed out and scribbled over in the same pen she wrote it all with, a Polaroid of a special moment they had shared together, and Marina’s deep-set admiration for Pearl. After finishing each letter, Pearl would tuck the Polaroid within it and fold it back up, reminding herself to store the letters properly later. Then, she came upon the last piece of paper, and subsequently, the last Polaroid.

This one showed them in their outfits for the Final Splatfest, Pearl in her bronze-gold Chaos garb painting the brown marking on her face while facing a mirror hung on the door of their room. Meanwhile, Marina was smiling at the camera and giving it a peace sign, dressed in her slick, metallic jumpsuit. Pearl always thought it was kind of ugly how the network always sexualized Marina and put her in grossly revealing outfits, but at least she looked good in them. “Final Splatfest!!!” was written under the image, with Marina making the three exclamation points into a face, giving it a round nose and a smiley face. Pearl chuckled at that before putting the Polaroid down to read the letter.

” _Dear Senpai,_

_I can’t believe we’ve gotten to our Final Splatfest already! You know, this theme is kind of weird. Even though it’s much more fun to have Chaos vs. Order instead of the Callie vs. Marie thing they pulled on the Squid Sisters for their last day, I think it would’ve been fun to do a Pearl vs. Marina Splatfest. Except I would’ve been playing for the Pearl team! You know how much I love you, Pearlie. You’re the stars in my sky, the ink in my veins, the hearts in my chest. I couldn’t live without you, and I think it’s finally time I tell you. Pearl Houzuki, I’m in love with you. Everything you’ve done for me, everything you continue to do for me... it’s beautiful. You took a stranger into your home and gave her everything, you gave her Off The Hook, just out of the kindness of your heart. I hope I don’t give you this letter too late, because I was planning to give you this letter and all the other ones I wrote for you before the Splatfest results were announced. Hopefully I’ll be able to, but whenever you read this letter, I’m sure I’ll be sitting next to you, smiling as your face goes as pink as coral and you kiss me because you don’t want to be seen embarrassed. This whole letter was very rambly, but whenever you may be reading this... know that I love you, wholly and forever._

_Forever Yours,_

_Marina_ ”

Cod, that made Pearl’s tough exterior crumble into little pieces. Pearl would be lying to herself, too, if she said she didn’t love Marina, too. She really and truly did, and she wanted nothing more right now than to find Marina wherever she was and plant a furious kiss on her lips. Were the best days of their lives over? Was Off The Hook over? _Not on my watch,_ she told herself, grabbing her jacket and storming out the door on her way to find Marina. Not on Pearl’s fucking watch.

☆★☆

Marina had texted Pearl her address some time ago, and urged her to visit whenever possible. Pearl, still stuck in her bitterness, said, “ _sure i’ll find a day_ ”. Find a day she had, as she thanked the cab driver, paid the jellyfish, and left, arriving at Marina’s apartment complex.

” _It’s Apartment 5B!!! It’s only on the second floor, but it still has a beautiful view! ♪( ´▽｀)_ ”

” _not as beautiful as you i’m sure_ ”

” _Awwww Pearlieeee stoppppp (〃ω〃)_ ”

Looking at their old texts filled Pearl with a sense of yearning, but she’d get to Marina soon enough. The isopod at the front desk told Pearl where to go, and soon enough, she was in front of Apartment 5B.

” _open your apartment door_ ” Pearl texted Marina, short and to the point. “ _it’s important_ ” she added, for a little bit of extra motivation.

The small typing bubble popped up, soon dispensing a response from Marina: a simple “ _Okay_ ”. Alright, cool.

Marina opened the door about a minute or two later, dressed casually in just a black tank top and black sweatpants with white text she couldn’t understand. She still looked as beautiful as ever, her black-teal tentacles looking radiant, complimenting her dark skin, her lips looking full, and of course, her face still looking as if it was carved from marble.

Before Marina had the chance to say anything, Pearl started. “I found your letters.” Marina’s face went darker in an instant as Pearl continued. “They made me nostalgic, and... sad. I think I understand the Order side now, because, fuck, I don’t want to lose Off The Hook. I never wanted to lose you, and it felt like, over the course of the last month, I did.” Pearl breathed in before delivering the most important part of her little spiel. “I’m in love with you too, and, Cod, I’m such an idiot it took me so long to get to you.” Pearl’s eyes were watery by now, and surely she looked like a fool. “I’m in love with you, Marina Iida. I’m sorry it took so long.”

The pair was silent right after that, Marina simply looking at Pearl’s face wracked by tears, a hand over her mouth. The older girl suddenly felt so much smaller than she already was, standing in front of Marina’s apartment.

”If you don’t- if you lost feelings, that’s o-“ Pearl’s pitiful start to an apology was cut off by Marina’s lips meeting hers. Their lips pressed against the others, with marked force and passion. Kissing Marina felt like coming home and feeling right where she was supposed to be. That’s what it felt like- oh so right.

The two drew back for breath, foreheads pressed against each other. Marina started crying, sniffling as Pearl just held her. Marina said something muffled, which Pearl didn’t catch.

“What?” asked Pearl, still looking at Marina’s teary face.

“I just- Pearl, I love you.” Marina sniffled now some more, a few more tears escaping her teal eyes.

”Marina?”

Marina looked at Pearl, wearing an expression more genuine than she had ever seen Pearl before.

”I love you too.” Pearl was smiling like a total dope at this point. “Forever and ever,” Pearl added.

”And we’ll always have each other’s backs, right?” Marina asked quietly.

Pearl put her pinky up, intertwining it with Marina’s.

”You know it.”

☆★☆

**Author's Note:**

> pearlina time ohohoho ... i wanted to write something sad but i didn’t want a sad ending so like . lol good ending time for these girls because they deserve it  
> ☆★☆  
> torture me on tumblr krookodyke.tumblr.com


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